livingstone



SSheets-Sheetl. W. LIVINGSTONE STAMP CANOE-LING MACHINE. lNo.1.74,"I34.-. Patented. Marchl, 1876.

Fig 1.

IIPETERS FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON, D Q

3Sheets-Sheet2. W. LIVING-STONE STAMP CANCELIITG MACHINE. No.174,73%. Patented Marchl, 1876.

Witnesses;

N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WA'SHINGTON. D

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W.'LIVINGSTONE STAMP CANCELING MACHINE. No,174;,734, PatentedMarchl1876r N.PETER$, FNOTO-LITMOGRAFHER, WASNINGTQNv DEC.

WILLIAM LIVINGSTON OF NALLEY STREAM, ASSIGNORKTO UNITED "STATES POSTAL STAMP MACHINE COMPANY, OF NE'WYORK, N. .Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. l'74;734,-dated"March 14, 1876; applica'tionfiled November 20, 1875.

I To all whom it may concern: i

Be it knownthat I, WILLIAMYLIVIN-GSTONE,

/ ofNalleyvstrealmQueens'county,.and Stateoof New York, haveinventedcertainnew and useful Improvements in; Stamp Oancelin g and Printing Machines, which improvement is fully set forth inthe following specification:

This invention relates. to that class of. machines designed for the purpose of stamping letters with the name. of post-office,.dates,&c., and at the same'time defacingthe stamps thereon; and itconsists in certain novel arran gements of parts, theapplication,construction, and operation of which will be Herein fully pointed out and described. I

In the drawings, which forlnnan essential part of this specification, Figure l is. an end elevation of a machine in which .is fully em:- bodied my invention, showing theoperatingparts in their normal position rea'dy'for stamp ing. Fig. 2 is a plan view of. the same; and Fig. 3is also an end view, showingthe operlatin g parts when, giving the impression.

Similar letters of reference .used in the various figures of the drawings willindicate corresponding parts.

Many endeavors have been made from time v to time to produce a machine-which shall per-j form the twofold dutyof cancelingthe stamps upon letters, circulars,"&c., eftectingthe comsuch manner as to obviate 'al'l thedi-fficulties heretofore met with; and it consists in a compensating arrangement of mechanism producing by their combined action a quick and sharp motion for the stamping or printing and. canceling devices, (imitating tosome extent the present hand-stamping operation,) instead of using, a directand even pressure .ofthe stamping-surface upon a platen, as in -theausualprocess of printing. This enables meto'stamp uponletters or papersof any thickness, the operative arrangements being .so, applied that thegstamp adjusts itself for .that purpose.

vAnother part of my invention :CODSiStS in the peculiar arrangement of .aself-acting inking apparatus, which operates in unison with vthe ,stampingvdevices.

HA. is the frame of the -machine,towhich*is affixed the various operating parts. It is .at-

.tached to a table, B, or other suitable stand, and onits lowercnd is, provided with a re- ..cess, in which is'placed an ink tountainya. "Thisiower end A also forms a:circular,.table,

a upon which the inkrollers ride, as will be hereinafterfully described; 0 O is a bifurcated rocking carriage, provided with slots 0? and afland swinging from a center or fulcrum formed by the shaft 0, which is mounted in bearings in'the arms '61 d of the frame A,;and passes through [sloth/ 'Projecting-'--from the face, near thev apex of this carriage O, is :an arm, D, which at its forward end carries the stamp canceling and printing devices D At the'base of the rocking carriage O are two projecting arms or guides, O O, on the inner side of which -are"formed. suitable V-shaped grooves or guides, in which the inking-carriage E reciprocates. This inking-carriagetis provided with inking-r0116, take-up roll f, and distrilmting-rolls g and g, all of the usualconstruction and operation, as in printing-presses. This inking-carriage is-shaped on the outside ofthe frame to form bearings h, which'fit into the'\ or other suitably shapedg-rooves or slides iformed in the arm 0 of the rocking carriage, and in which the inking-carriage reciprocates. This latter operation is performed at the stated time by means of a lever, N, attached to shaft It, said lever at its forward end being connected with and operating under a small shaft fixed in the upper endof two short arms, 0 o, projecting from the base of the inking-carriage E.

F and F are two levers or arms attached to the shaft k, which is mounted in hearings in the arms 11, projecting to the rear and from frame A. The forward ends of these arms are slotted or forked-shaped, the two forked arms 8 and s encircling a shaft, m, which also passes through the slots a formed in the i turned in the bearings, giving the forked arms F and F a downward motion, carrying with them the shaft m in the slot a of the rocking carriage C. At the same time the lever N, also attached to the shaft k, retreats, drawing thednking-carriage E down in the slides M formed in the arms 0 C, until the inkingroller 6 is below and clear from the stamping devices D During the retraction of the inkin g-carriage the arms F and F continue to move, carrying the shaft m down in the slots a until it passes the center of andibelow the shaft-bearings c c. The springs O O at this point are extended to a sufficient tension so that, when the shaft m has passed the shaft centers 0, they at once instantly retract, causing the rocking carriage O to swing quickly on its shaft-bearings c, (the shaft mretreating in between the forked arms 8 s of the levers F and F,)and the arm D to fall until the stamping deviceimpinges'on the letter which is to be stamped, which rests on the platen D The rocking carriage G, at its fulcrum-point 0, may be provided with a slot, a in order to permit its center of motion to change position, in order that the stamping devices may always strike perfectly true, the fulcrum center changing its position according as the letter to be stamped varies in thickness. The swinging movement of the rocking carriage G carries it and the inking-carriage into the position as shown in Fig. 3, the ink-take-up rollf reaching into the ink-fountain a, taking up a supply of ink in the usual manner. In

this latter part of the motion of carriage O the ink-rollers Will ride on the circular table (see Fig. 3) a which action will aid in the equal distribution of the ink upon their surfaces, and remove any surplus that may have been taken "*It is plainly obvious that the described arrangement for actuating the rocking carriage G is compensating, and adjusts the blow given by the arm D and stamping devices D according to circumstances-that is, if a thin letteris placed beneath the stamp ,it will receive a full impression, and if a thick letter or a paper is to be stamped the strength of the blow is the same, although the motion of the rocking carriage is shortened and ceases at the moment the blow is given in both cases. The return of the rocking carriage O and other operating parts to their original or normal position is caused by the reverse movement of the levers, 81.0., the ink-carriage E and rocking carriage G returning in unison, the action of the shaft m in the slot a and the lever N commencing together, the carriage U finishing its movement first, the movement of the inking-carriage continuing until the ink-roll c has passed across the face of the stamping devices, inking them for another impression.

It is obvious that the lever W can also be operated by means of a crank or cam, which may be driven by power, or by any of the wellknown mechanical movements used in conveying an intermittent movement to a lever,

' or the motion may be continuous.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and novel, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The swinging and reciprocating carriage 0, provided with slots'a and an, arm D carrying stamping devices D and arms 0 at its base carrying inking-carriage, and operating from a compensating-fulcrum, as and for the purposes as herein shown and set forth.

2. The reciprocating ink-carriage E, provided with one or more ink-rolls, in combination with the rocking carriage G, and the operating-lever N, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes as herein shown and set forth.

3. The combination of the compensating swinging rocking carriage O, inking-carriage E, shaft m, forked operating-levers F and F, and actuating-springs 0 and 0, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes as herein shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of October, A. D. 1875.

WILLIAM LIVIN GSTON E.

In presence of-- A. S. MUNSON, E. G. WARD. 

